


The Cats I’ve Fed Outside Our Apartment Complex

by SnazzyRow



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Asexual Relationship, Cats, Fluff, M/M, Other, Pining, Platonic Relationships, Wonhui - Freeform, units live together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-07-03 09:38:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15816300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnazzyRow/pseuds/SnazzyRow
Summary: Wonwoo lives his life simply—he has a job, his roomates, and his cats. They aren’t his, of course, but they visit so often, they might as well be. Each one is special, has its own name, and Wonwoo loves them.Everything is normal until Wonwoo discovers a new cat, young and dirty shivering under their steps. It’s wearing a collar, which means it’s Wonwoo’s mission to return this little baby back to his rightful owner.





	1. Pebble and Beans

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope you’ll like it! I’m also working on a few other series at the moment, so check those out too if you’d like! Thank you so much, and feel free to follow me on twitter @seungkwansmile/shoomkwan or on instagram @lq.kwan

Today Pebble and Beans came to eat. They’re both cats, of course. Who’d name their child Beans?

 

Pebble is a gray shorthair, and Beans is a brown and orange calico with a bad ear. It looks as if it was bit during a fight, maybe. Poor baby. 

 

Anyway, I fed them the usual dry food in the two bowls that sit on the stairs at the floor under the window on the fire escape, and I replaced the old water with new clean water and ice. It’s always nice to add ice to animal’s water, especially on sweltering summer days like these. 

 

When they finished eating, Beans left, but Pebble jumped up onto the windowsill and brushed against my arm. She’s always interested in me more than anything else. Makes me wonder if she’s not actually a stray. Pebble’s purrs sound like a lawnmower. 

 

I’m not sure how long I sat at the window with Pebble, but I know it was quite a while because I was brought back to reality only when I heard someone laugh behind me. 

 

“You’re still there with that dumb cat?” The voice asked and scoffed, scaring Pebble enough for her to jump down and hide underneath the stairs. 

 

“Come on, Cheol. She’s not hurting anybody.” I said to my roommate, Seungcheol, who sat cross legged at the dining room table, sipping coffee. 

 

“Wonwoo, you know that they’re never gonna leave you alone if you keep feeding them like that.” Seungcheol countered. 

 

“Yeah, and when you stop feeding them, they’re gonna break in here and eat  _ you _ !” Hansol said, wiggling his fingers as he walked in from the kitchen, as if that made it scarier. 

 

“They’re going to become  _ dependent _ on you, and won’t be able to survive on their own without your help. Do you really wanna live with twenty cats?” Seungcheol said, ignoring Hansol, even though he sat right next to the older. 

 

“It'd be nicer than living with two meatheads and an ass-kisser.” I joked, and Hansol rolled his eyes. 

 

Seungcheol just shrugged and took a long drink from his mug. Hansol had his mouth stuffed with a cinnamon roll. 

 

Cinnamon roll? When did we get those?

 

“Where’d these come from?” I vocalized my question, and got my answer as a peek into the kitchen revealed a sheet pan full of steaming buns. 

 

“Mingyu.” Hansol answered simply, mouth still full of cinnamon-y goodness. 

 

“Where is he?” I asked, getting up from the seat by the window to grab my own sweet snack. 

 

“I thought you were sitting here the whole time?” Seungcheol raised his eyebrow and sighed when i shrugged, “He asked you if you wanted him to make Japchae for dinner, you said yes, and he went to the store to get some carrots.” 

 

I stuck out my bottom lip as I thought, trying to remember saying anything to anybody other than Beans and Pebble. Nothing came to my mind. 

 

“Guess we’re having a nice dinner, then.” I said with a shrug, pulling apart the layers of sticky dough. 

  
  
  


After Pebble left, Hansol and Seungcheol pestered me until Mingyu came home and made them set the table. It was almost like he was on my side, until he asked me to help him cut onions. 

 

Dinner went by slow as usual, but it was calming to finally be able to eat together at the same table. With my new job, Seungcheol’s work, Mingyu’s school, and Hansol’s estranged sleeping schedule, we haven’t had a proper meal together in weeks. Every time I’d be ready to eat, everyone was asleep or out, and when others ate, I was busy. This house may be full of dumbasses, but they’re like a family. 

 

“How’s school going, Gyu?” Seungcheol asked, breaking the comfortable silence at the dinner table. 

 

“It’s fine so far.” Mingyu answered through a mouthful of noodles, “They’re teaching us a whole bunch of nutritional stuff for each vegetable which kind of seems useless at first but the professor told us it’ll be important later.”

 

“What about you, how’s working with those kids?” Hansol asked, pointing his chopsticks towards Seungcheol. 

 

“They’re all angels.” Seungcheol said with a soft smile on his face, “There's this one—Jisung—He’s so precious. His dad brings him in every day, and even his dad is an angel.”

 

“Awww, does Cheollie have a crush?” Mingyu said in a baby voice, earning a playful punch from the older. 

 

“What does he look like?” Hansol questioned further. 

 

“He’s about my height, and he has this beautiful long hair.” Seungcheol sighed a bit, pausing to take another bite of food, “And he’s always so nice, no matter how stressed he may look— and he looks  _ really _ stressed out a lot. I think he’s a single father.”

 

“Taking care of a kid alone is tough.” Hansol added, “Even if it’s the most well behaved kid on earth.”

 

Seungcheol chuckled, and the conversation died down there. We ate quietly for the next few minutes, and I couldn’t help but settle into the quietness. It was warm, inviting, comfortable. I ended up being the first to finish, and I brought my plate to the sink, then myself to the living room. 

 

I’ve started this book I found amongst the clearance section at the bookstore—Catcher in the Rye. In high school, they wanted us to read it, but I never got around to it. Maybe it’s better I’m reading it now—there’s some symbolism and metaphors that I probably wouldn’t have understood back then. 

 

Anyway, I opened back up to the last page I stuck my bookmark after settling into the armchair next to the couch. I took a moment to find the line I left off on, and kept reading. 

 

_ One of my troubles is, I never care too much when I lose something—it used to drive my mother crazy when I was a kid. Some guys spend  _ days _ looking for something they lost.  _

 

I thought about that for a while. Holden tends to ramble on, So I decided to pause to take in the words before he changed the topic once again. 

 

Since beginning this book, I always related a bit with Holden. Something about his cynicism was really relatable for some reason. I found myself laughing at things he’s said—stuff that if I showed anybody else, they’d furrow their brow and give me a weird side eye look. 

 

No matter how much I can relate to this narrator, I don’t think I’d ever be able to relate to this statement. I may act like I don’t care, put on that nonchalant face, but I really, truly care. I care about my friends—my roomates. I care about my plants, the little cactuses in the bathroom and along the fire escape stairs. I care about the cats that wake me up, scratching on the window at the most ungodly hours of the morning. The cats that purr and rub their heads on my hands when I put down food, and the ones that back up and puff up, even though they go eat as soon as I turn my head. There’s so much I could lose that I’m not prepared for, so many things that could slip through my fingers. 

 

_ I never seem to have anything that if I lost it I’d care too much about.  _

 

It must be nice to have not a worry in the world. 

  
  
  


When morning came, I was still thinking about that dumb book. I didn’t read much of it, but some things really stuck in my head. 

 

I woke up at 4:30, which wasn’t bad, really. Sometimes I can’t sleep at all. 

 

I checked the windowsill and sure enough, three little felines were perched there with their little toes against the glass. I smiled. If there was anything that’d make me happy to wake up, it was the cats. 

 

I opened a can of wet food that I chopped up and spread over a small plate, and poured dry food into a separate bowl. I managed to pull the window open, although my hands were full, and I was greeted with soft meows that could melt your heart. 

 

Even though it was dark, I could tell the cats apart from each other. There was a white long haired one I call Hera, a black one with beautiful orange eyes that I named Neo, and an older one with two different colored eyes and a multitude of colors splattered over his fur. I’ve named him Picasso. 

 

I dragged a dining room chair over to the window and sat next to it, watching them eat, listening to the little crunching sounds. It was quite a nice, calming moment for once in this chaotic life. 

 

It’s at times like these that I like to reminisce on my own self. These peaceful, cat filled moments. I scratched Neo’s chin, and he pressed into my hand. 

 

I won’t love anybody like I love these cats, I thought. Well, no, let me rephrase that…I don’t think I’ve ever experienced what other people would call a crush? Or any type of attraction at least. 

 

When I was in high school, I never liked any girls, so I just gave in to what everybody was telling me—that I just need to find the  _ right _ person to  _ fix _ me. By senior year, I figured maybe I might be gay. But I hadn’t shown any interest in boys either. I just thought I was a loser who had never had a girlfriend—or boyfriend— or sex. 

 

The small thoughts turned into big thoughts I couldn’t push away no matter how hard I tried to avoid the question of when I was going to get into a relationship. 

 

So when Mingyu confessed to me, I figured it would be easier to say I was gay than having people think I was broken for not feeling attracted to him—or anyone, for that matter. It was near the middle of the year, and after his pretty obvious pining, I gave him the benefit of the doubt, and decided to go out with him. 

 

He gave me roses, took me to a nice restaurant, bought me dessert, and kissed me on the cheek when he dropped me off at home. It was a great night, but it didn’t feel really…  _ special _ , you know?

 

We went on a bunch more dates—late dinners, walks in the park, even to a carnival once. Every time, though, I only could see it as friends hanging out. I had no problem with his hand holding, or his kisses. I liked them, even. He made me happy, but it didn’t feel like they describe in the books or movies. He just felt like a best friend that I could kiss. 

 

Once in the spring after a particularly nice midnight picnic date under the cherry blossoms—with plenty of wine and kisses—he took me to his house. He lived with his parents still, so I made a fool tip-toeing around in the dark before he told me they were out of the city for the week for business. For some reason, that didn’t cure my nerves. 

 

We laid on the couch, practically on top of each other, and watched some stupid movie that I ignored for most of it, Mingyu’s fingers trailing along my scalp through my hair. It was so calming.

 

It was a little less calming when his hand traveled down my side to rest on my hip, threatening to slip under the thin fabric of my sweatpants. I tensed up, and I think he noticed, because before I said anything outright, he asked;

 

_ “Is this alright?” _

 

I shrugged, avoiding his gaze, and before I knew it, his hand retracted back to where it was earlier, stroking my locks of dark hair. 

 

_ “Just… Tell me what you want and don’t want from me, okay babe?” _

 

Anyway, the next few nights I spent at his house, smushed in close to his chest all night. He had made a few more advances towards going further than making out and cuddling, but as it kept happening, I kept turning him down. I just didn’t think that letting him touch me—or touching him— would make our bond stronger. I guess he felt things I didn’t, and I thought for the first time that maybe I didn’t actually love Mingyu. 

 

I learned about the term ‘asexual’ around the same time I was dating Mingyu. I never thought I’d be that, though. I mean, I’ve kissed people, I’ve dated, I’ve masturbated. There was no way I was someone like  _ that _ . At least, I thought that way until I read other people’s experiences online. 

 

Apparently there was an actual term for someone who didn’t feel any kind of sexual attraction to others.  _ And _ you could be that, and still have  _ romantic _ relationships. It was like everything clicked finally. 

 

I know who I am, what I am, what I like and most importantly, what I  _ don’t _ like. It’s hard to put labels on things, and I don’t like to anyway, so it’s cool for me to just be me. 

 

As soon as I came to terms with everything, I excitedly called up Mingyu, asking to see him. Finally, I could tell him why I was so uncomfortable all the time. The conversation went something like this;

 

“So after some… pretty extensive research, I think I figured out what’s wrong with me—er, what’s  _ not _ wrong with me..?” I told Mingyu as we sat on the rug in my bedroom. 

 

“What do you mean?” Mingyu asked, taking my hand in his, “If this is about the sex thing, I told you I’ll wait until you’re ready, I don't want to push you, baby.”

 

“No, no, I mean— well, yeah it’s the sex thing. But it’s something different!” I protested, holding onto his hand a little tighter to show I was serious. 

 

He furrowed his brows and tilted his head, prompting me to explain. 

 

“So there's this thing called being ‘asexual’.” I could practically feel myself shaking from nervousness as I continued. “It’s when you don’t feel the need to have sex. Like, you might have a sex drive or whatever, but you don’t feel like you need to act on it. Do you get that? I don’t know but… I think I might be that.”

 

Mingyu was silent, and I almost sweat through my t-shirt. 

 

“Does that mean you’re breaking up with me?” Mingyu’s voice was small, and I could see the tears forming in the corners of his eyes. 

 

“No no!” I was quick to dismiss Mingyu’s worries, “It’s just a different type of sexuality. Like how you’re bisexual, you like to have sex with guys and girls. I’m… I’m asexual, so… I just  _ don’t _ like to have sex.”

 

Mingyu rubbed at the back of my hand with his thumb—the way he does when he’s nervous. I was nervous too. 

 

“Liking someone romantically is different from liking someone sexually… I like you. I like you a lot, Mingyu. Just because I don’t want to have sex with you, doesn’t mean I don’t like you.”

 

Mingyu nodded slowly, and I could tell he understood. Enough to know I wasn’t breaking up with him, at least. He grabbed my other hand, and I let him. We sat, holding hands on my floor for what seemed like an eternity. 

 

“But you’ve… kissed me and stuff.” Mingyu said, eyes wandering the room, “Doesn’t that mean you’re like… into it, or whatever?”

 

“I can kiss you without feeling like it’s going to lead to dick touching, babe.” I said, laughing, “Like, when you kiss me goodbye when I get out of the car, do you get a boner and immediately want to stick it in one of my holes?”

 

“Obviously not, dummy.”

 

“Well it’s like that for me, but all the time. Even if we’re making out.”

 

“That must suck…”

 

“Not really.” I laughed a little softer, “I don’t know. Maybe it’s ‘cause I’ve never felt that need before I don’t think it sucks.”

 

The silence enveloped us both once again. 

 

“What the  _ fuck _ does that even  _ mean _ ?” Mingyu said with a soft chuckle and a sigh. 

 

“What do you mean?” I asked, now nervous of being rejected. 

 

“You like… can’t get it up or something? You don’t know  _ how _ ?” Mingyu let go of one of my hands to rub his forehead. 

 

“No, It’s just like…” I thought hard for a little bit, “I can ‘get it up’ or whatever you said, I just… have no  _ desire _ to. I just don’t  _ want _ to do it.”

 

“So it’s like abstinence?”

 

“ _ No _ , Mingyu.” I held his hand tight in my own, “It’s not something I choose to do… or be. It’s just… what I feel. And what I don’t feel.”

 

“I’m sorry, I just don’t really get it.” Mingyu said with a breathy laugh. “I want to get it. I want to understand you, Wonwoo, I really do, but I can’t… fathom it, you know?”

 

“It’s  _ okay _ , Gyu.” I pulled him by the arm to focus on me, “You don’t  _ have _ to understand  _ everything _ at once.  _ I _ don't even understand it all! But I want you to support me…”

 

“Of course I’m going to support you no matter what, dude.” Mingyu pushed me by my chest, scoffing, “Why wouldn’t I?”

 

I felt a wave of relief wash over me, and I didn’t notice the tears that pricked the sides of my eyes until they fell off my chin and onto the back of my hand. I quickly wiped them away and laughed. 

 

“Thank you. Thank you, Mingyu.”

 

We didn’t stay together for too much longer. It had nothing to do with the asexual thing, he just had so much on his plate with school and scholarships and family, he barely had any time for me, and he was the one who said it was unfair. So we ended it after a long, enjoyable six-ish months. I haven’t been with anybody since, but Mingyu and I stayed friends for a long time. 

 

Fast forward to about a year after graduating, and here we are, living in this way too small apartment together. It’s funny, I got so used to kissing him, I almost slip up and lean in to press my lips against his when he’s on his way to school in the morning. Hansol has made fun of me for it on multiple occasions. 

 

Speaking of the others, none of us are completely straight. It’s funny, I laugh when I think about any of us with a girl. Mingyu and Hansol are both bi, Seungcheol is gay, and I’m asexual. What a group we are, huh?

 

By the time my mind stopped replaying these memories, the sun was just coming up on the horizon, painting the sky with dark blues, oranges, pinks and reds. It was beautiful, and so were the three little kitties that sat around the water bowl. My phone started ringing, and I switched off the alarm slowly. 

 

_ 6:30 already? Well, guess it’s time to start getting ready for work.  _

  
  


Now my job isn’t really the worst in the world, but it's also not some high end, high paying, upper class job either. It’s just an average barista job around the block at this cute little cafe. Since I moved here with the guys, I went there almost every day and when I saw they were hiring, I went there every day as a worker rather than a customer. It’s a calm little place, and usually only the same few people come around to it anyway. 

 

I always get the super early shifts from, like, five in the morning ‘till noon. Today wasn’t much different, I just start a little bit later. 

 

By the time I dressed up, Mingyu had woken up too, disrupting the peace and quiet I like to have before leaving in the mornings. He always woke up super groggy, like he was still fully asleep when he dragged himself into the kitchen to make coffee. It was endearing, I guess. 

 

“Morning, Gyu.” I said in a low voice to Mingyu, who hummed back at me. “I just fed the cats, could you close the window a in a bit?”

 

“Sure thing. What time is it?” Mingyu’s voice sounded stuck in his throat. 

 

“Like, almost seven. I’m going to work, and yes, I’ll bring home some of those pastry cups you like.” 

 

I slid on my shoes and shot Mingyu a quick goodbye before rushing out into the stairwell across from our door. 

  
  
  


My shift was nearly over when I got the call from Hansol. 

 

_ “Hey, I know you’re busy, but there's this weird looking cat sulking under the stairs and… like, what do i do? Should I feed it?” _

 

“What do you mean ‘weird looking cat’? What does it look like?” I furrowed my brows, trying to think which of my furry babies would be there now. 

 

_ “Uhh…” Hansol sighed and it sounded as if he opened the window in the background, “It’s, uh, gray? Kinda small… pink collar…” _

 

“Did you say collar?”

 

_ “Yeah, a pink one, why?” _

 

“It’s not one of mine.” I said, already undoing the apron around my waist, “It’s not a stray. I’m almost done here, I'll be home in a minute to check it out. Don't let the cat leave, yeah?”

 

I didn’t give Hansol time to respond before I pocketed my phone and went back to the employee room to change. 

 

I came home to a surprisingly quiet house, with Seungcheol and Mingyu out. Hansol was wedged in the window, half of his body outside, the other half standing in the dining room. It almost made me laugh. 

 

“Where’s the cat?” I said, pulling the window up to let Hansol slide out with more ease. 

 

“Over there.” Hansol pointed right below the window. “Be careful, she’s skittish. Took me long enough to get her to drink the milk I put out for her.”

 

I craned my head out the window, glancing around a bit until I locked eyes with the cat. It was such a tiny thing, probably less than a year old. The fur was a really light gray, and it’s eyes were a beautiful orange color. The collar was pretty loose, but it somehow stayed around the little baby’s neck. I reached out to let it smell me, but it just backed away from the side of the building and puffed up. I sighed. 

 

“It’s okay, baby, come here.” I said in my best, soft, cat talking voice. “I won’t hurt you. I want to bring you back to your home, little guy. Come here.”

 

It didn’t move, but it’s fur flattened back out, so I assumed I was making progress. 

 

“What kind of milk is that?” I asked Hansol in a low voice, not wanting to startle the kitten any more. 

 

“The one from the fridge? I didn’t know if it liked it warm or cold so I heated some up and left some plain, but it seemed to like the warmer one. Why?”

 

“Because cats are lactose intolerant.” I sighed loudly, and the cat took half a step towards me. “Most are, at least. That’s why I bought those little cartons of kitten milk. Where are those?”

 

“Those were for… the cats?” Hansol chewed on the inside of his cheek, and I rolled my eyes. 

 

“I’d smack you if I didn’t have a kitten I’m trying to get to love me.” I threatened, but my threats didn’t go far, because I soon felt a cold little touch to my thumb. 

 

When I looked over, the cat was standing right next to my hand, sniffing it with it’s whiskers and nose rubbing against me. It melts your heart, really, when a cat decides to trust you. 

 

I moved my hand a little, and the cat flinched, but ultimately let me run my fingers over it’s cute little head and chin. When I finished my petting, I could hear the purring from all the way inside. That’s another thing that warms your heart- cat purring. It’s like a guaranteed way to tell that they might just love you.

 

I let the cat smell me for what seemed like forever—so long that Hansol had to excuse himself to use the bathroom. I think he just got bored and went to the bedroom, honestly, but who am I to say anything about it. When the cat finally seemed satisfied, I tried putting my hands under its rib cage to lift it up. It wasn’t all that skinny, which was a good thing, and its coat was in pretty good condition too. It must have just gotten out recently. 

 

I pulled it into the apartment slowly and placed it on my lap. The little purrs still came from its throat and I couldn’t remember the last time I had an adorable little cat of my own. I let it explore my lap, rubbing up against my legs and stomach. 

 

Once it seemed comfortable, I lifted it up once again to inspect it. The belly had a scar going through the middle—probably from spaying—so I figured it was a girl. 

 

It’s pink collar had a shiny silver tag on it, and once I wiggled it into my hand, I read the name out loud. 

 

“Maomi..?”

 

It was a strange name, I thought. Anyway, there was an address under the name, and a phone number. I slid my phone from my pocket and typed the number in, hitting the call button. 

 

My heart was racing—I’ve never really been good at talking to people. I seriously considered hanging up and keeping the little girl for myself. I was really about to when someone answered, a small voice coming through the speaker. He sounded like he had been crying or smoking.

 

_ “Hello?”  _

 

I swallowed, taking in a breath before answering back. 

 

“Hello. I, uh, I think I have your cat?”


	2. Maomi and Jun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wonwoo returns the kitten and meets it's peculiar owner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ive been gone for too long sorry school is a bitch

“ _ Oh my god—wait really? Oh my god! How is she doing? _ ”

 

I furrowed my brow, looking down at the little cat that burrowed her way under my shirt. 

 

“She's… Alright. She was on the steps by my fire escape and I fed her a little while ago.”

 

“ _ Thank god, I thought she’d be gone forever! _ ” The man on the line took a deep breath, and blew his nose right next to the speaker. I cringed away a bit, separating the phone from my ear. “ _ Can you bring her to me? I think my address is still on that tag of hers… _ ”

 

“I, uh,” I felt myself stumble over my words, and I mentally cursed myself, “Sure thing. Do you want me to come right now?”

 

“ _ Can you? Would That be too much trouble? Oh, don’t worry if it’s too much trouble, as long as she has somewhere safe to be… I can come and get her, too, if that would be easier! _ ” The man continued to ramble, and I sensed the same nervousness in his voice as I did in mine. It was almost calming. 

 

“I’m already on my way.” I said, smiling down at the small cat on my lap.

 

\----

 

The short walk was nothing. If anything, bringing the tiny cat with me made it nicer. Although it had gotten quite gray outside, almost threatening to rain, I couldn’t care. As long as I could bring this cat home and then bring  _ myself  _ home. Heh. Due to the weather, not many people were out and about, which proved helpful in speed walking to the written address.

 

The guy lived a few blocks down the road, right near the cafe I work at, actually. I walked with the little girl in my arms, her purrs vibrating my whole body. Holding such a cute little thing, you can’t help but smile. 

 

When I finally reached the door, I felt the nerves start again. 

 

It seemed like such a nice house, at least from the outside. The door was really clean _ — _ the white paint and brass handle and cloudy glass panes on the sides were all in pristine condition. Which was already more than My house had ever had _ — _ the gross green paint on our door has been peeling since we moved in. Thank god whoever’s cat this was decided against coming to  _ my _ place to get it.

 

I pressed the doorbell that sat on the frame, listening to it echo inside the fairly large building. The cloudy glass didn’t allow me to see much other than a shadow passing by them, stopping at the door. 

 

“Who is it?” The voice, familiar from the phone, called out.

 

I stood up straighter, and started to speak back. “Ah, I-I’m Wonwoo, I have your-”

 

I couldn’t finish my sentence before the door flung open, a man standing with open arms in the doorway. 

 

“ _ Maomi _ !” the man yelled out, leaning in close to Wonwoo to kiss the little sleeping cat’s head. It opened its eyes and yawned, purrs continuing.

 

“Yep.” I said, chuckling nervously. 

 

He scratched under her chin, cooing at the kitten in another language- or maybe it was just gibberish, I couldn’t tell the difference if I wanted to. His smile was wide, and I was paying so much attention to the cat’s purrs, I barely heard him speak. 

 

“Thank you so much _ — _ uh, Wonwoo you said?” The man said in a very grateful voice. 

 

“Ah, yeah, it’s Wonwoo.” I replied awkwardly, adjusting the little cat in my hands to hold it out to its owner. 

 

He took her, and his wide grin softened into a softer smile, “Really, I don’t know what to do to repay you…” 

 

I let out a nervous chuckle, and the man snapped his fingers. 

 

“How about you come in for a cup of tea? Or maybe some coffee?” He offered, and as I tried to refuse, he added, “Please, it’s the least I can do! You made sure my little girl was safe, and that’s all that matters. Won’t you come in?”

 

And somehow, I found myself walking into this stranger’s house. 

  
  
  


Not only did his house look amazing on the outside, but it looked amazing inside as well. The ceilings were high, and although most of the walls were painted a very plain white, it seemed to work. We took a left when we entered, and it lead us right to a living room with white walls and white sofas. They had black blankets spread over them in seemingly random ways, as if somebody messed them up when they sat down, It gave the place a nice, lived-in look despite the stark cleanliness of the rest of the place. 

 

We walked past the living room into a kitchen, and it could have been something from a magazine, really. One wall was made of all glass, a glass door and everything that lead to the backyard, and let in a lot of natural light. The rest were pale green, nothing but a few small, minimalistic paintings on them. I stared at the island in the middle of the huge room, the same place the man waved for me to sit down at. There were a few black barstools at it, and I chose one to sit at. I realized the little kitten was still in my grasp, and I put her down on the tile floor. She ran over to her owner and brushed against his legs while he reached up into a cabinet. He said something I didn’t quite catch in a baby voice, then pulled out a bag of cat food. 

 

He filled a small metal bowl with the dry food, and took the one next to it to fill with water. As he placed it down, he made kissing noises at the cat. It made me chuckle.

 

He straightened up, and turned to me, flashing a smile, “So _ — _ coffee or tea?” 

 

“Coffee, please.” I answered, taking my arms off the marble countertop, as if I had made it dirty by just touching it.

 

The man turned again to the cabinet, pulling out a can of coffee grounds, and continued to speak as he prepared the coffee machine.

 

“I guess I haven’t formally introduced myself. My name is Junhui, but you can call me Jun _ — _ all my friends do, anyway.” 

 

“Sure thing.” I said, eyeing Jun. I took the time to study him a bit more.

 

He wore a dark green hoodie that was way too big for him, showing off his tanned neck and collarbones nicely. The rest of his skin was just as tan, nice and honey colored. His pants were just a pair of gray sweatpants, the string from the waistband dangling from only one of the holes. His socks had pompoms on the heels. 

 

“So you work around here?” Jun asked, snapping me back into the conversation.

 

“Yeah, the cafe I work at is just around the corner.” I said, then added, “And my apartment isn’t too far from there too. It’s just in the opposite direction.” 

 

“That’s nice.” Jun said as he placed a black, steaming mug of coffee in front of me, followed by a carton of creamer and some sugar. “How long have you been working there? Oh, and I have regular sugar, too, but I like to use this kind. You know, most of sugars use bones to whiten them and all.”

 

I had never thought about that. The thought made me cringe. I opened the lid to the small sugar container and took a heaping spoonful of the dark colored sugar for my coffee. 

 

“I never knew that, that’s awful.” I said, almost apologetically, though I didn’t know why. It’s not like it was my fault, or like they were using our pet’s bones, but still. I don’t know. “Since I moved here I’ve worked at that place, so… a little over a year maybe?”

 

“Ah, that’s around the time I moved here!” Jun said enthusiastically, taking his seat next to me. 

 

“Where did you move from?” I asked, feeling awkward to be the one initiating conversation. I had always just waited for someone to speak to me first, but now it didn’t seem like he was going to say anything else. So I mustered up my courage.

 

“I used to live in China. Where exactly isn’t important, but I wanted a new start. I came here and I really didn’t have much, but I met a few new friends, and they helped me out a lot. Now I get to live here in this super nice house with my closest friends.”

 

“That’s… Really good, actually.” I said, “I’m glad you have such nice friends.”

 

“Yeah, it’s great that I found them or who knows what would have happened to me.” Jun laughed softly, then sipped his coffee, “What about you?”

 

“ Well…” 

 

I really considered lying for a moment. I thought about telling Jun I lived in some penthouse apartment with a nice wife or something like that. I could tell him anything, after all, he knew nothing about me but my name and where I work. However, my conscience is a bitch, and I knew if I tried, I would laugh, or tell it with too many plot holes, or end up regretting it later. 

 

“I moved here from a few cities away. I wanted to go to college but I didn’t really have the money, so I forgot about it. One of my old friends offered to be my roommate, and I thought it would be best if I took his offer. Over time, two of our other friends moved in and now our apartment seems smaller than ever.” 

 

I ended it with a laugh, so maybe he wouldn’t think I was complaining. I hope it worked.

 

“It’s good, splitting the rent, I mean.” Jun said, “I live with three others as well, and they’re… quite something. Most of the rent for this place is paid by the original owner, Soonyoung. He’s really an amazing person, he’s so warm and loving. Chan is the youngest and doesn’t have a great job, so he usually just pays for the groceries. Hao and I pay around the same amount, but it isn’t nearly as much as Soon does. I swear, he’s got some drug business or something.” He laughed.

 

I laughed too, hoping it was a joke.    
  


“It must be nice living in such a nice place.” I commented, complimenting his home.

 

“We should all get together sometime!” Jun offered, “You and your roommates, and me and my roommates. We can go out to eat or something!”

 

I thought about the last couple times we went out together and cringed. Hansol and Mingyu nearly got us kicked out of the restaurant after adding Robot Rock by Daft Punk to the jukebox about eleven times. Another time, Cheol was trying to impress one of the hot waiters by juggling wine glasses and broke all three of them. Another time… well, let’s just say that Olive Garden’s unlimited breadsticks actually has a limit. Each memory gave me shivers.

 

“Sure, I’ll talk to my guys about it.” I said, lying. 

 

“That’s great!” Jun said with a smile, “I’ll save your number then. So I can text you if you think of any idea of where to go out!”

 

I mentally rolled my eyes, but my face just smiled and nodded, taking a long swig of coffee.

 

“ _ Junhui? _ ” A voice called from the doorway to the living room, and I nearly jumped. It was soft and gentle, but I couldn’t help but get scared anyway.

 

Jun shot me an apologetic look, then leaned a bit to look around me at the door. I followed suit, finding a young looking boy wrapped in one of the black blankets from the couch. He looked like he had either just woken up from ten years of sleep, or  _ hadn’t  _ slept for ten years. His hair was stuck up in random places, quite an unflattering look. He had a sour pout on his face.

 

“I swear to god…” Jun said in a tone that made him sound like a father, “If you only just woke up now I’m going to be so mad.”

 

“I’m sorry, Junhui I just _ — _ ” He stopped in his tracks and looked in my direction, eyes widening, “Who’s this?”

 

“He’s the one who found Maomi and brought her back before the rainstorm.” Jun said, “His name is Wonwoo.”

 

“Hi, Wonwoo!” Chan said, shuffling his feet across the tile and dragging his blanket as he walked towards the stool across from ours. When he sat down, he sighed, putting his head in his hands. “Is he staying for dinner?”

 

Crap, I haven’t realized how long I’ve been here. 

 

“Ahh, no, no, I should be getting home soon. I don’t think my friends would appreciate if I was gone all day without telling them.”

 

“Are you sure?” Jun asked, putting his hand on mine. It was warm from the coffee. “We always have room for one more.”

 

“No, thank you so much, though.” I protested and smiled, “I need to get back before the rain starts up.”

 

“If you say so. I’ll walk you out, then.” Jun said with a warm smile that was almost as warm as the hand on mine. “That will give Chan enough time to come up with a believable excuse as to why he reeks of alcohol at three in the afternoon on a weekday.”

 

I caught a glimpse of Chan’s terrified look and Jun’s stern one and almost laughed to myself. I waved to him, and followed Jun out to the front entrance. 

 

“Thank you so much, really.” Jun said, repeating himself from earlier, “I’ll make sure I invite you for dinner one time, too. It’ll make up for whatever trouble you went through.”

 

“There’s no need to thank me, Jun,” I said, feeling strange about saying his name out loud. 

 

“Maomi is my pride and joy _ — _ she’s my life. Without her, I don’t think I could survive.” He said with a smile, but his eyes looked serious. “It  _ is _ a big deal.”   
  


I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, nervously standing at the doorway. Jun waved his hand, as if clearing the tension from the air. 

 

“Have a safe trip home. I’ll text you later!” Jun said cheerfully, twisting the knob of the door to let me out. 

 

“I better run before the rain gets me,” I joked, “Thanks for having me.”

 

“No problem, dude.” Jun said and chuckled.

 

The last thing I heard when I walked down the steps was the door slam, then lock. I swear I heard Jun’s booming voice call out Chan’s name, and I laughed to myself a little. That kid’s got a storm coming, and it’s not just rain.

  
  
  


“ _ He cut it! _ ”Cheol’s cry pounded my ears as soon as I unlocked the apartment door, and I nearly had a heart attack.

 

Running over to the older, I was cut off by Mingyu with his hand on his shoulder. I shot his a confused look, and Mingyu just shrugged. 

 

“Cheol, what happened?” I asked, panic rising in my throat. 

 

“He cut his hair!” His eyes were full of tears when he looked up at me, and I was taken aback. 

 

Mingyu sighed when he saw my confused look, and I guess he decided to explain.

 

“That guy Cheol’s been fawning over at work, remember him? The one with the kid _ — _ Jisung? Yeah, well his hair used to be long, and he cut it.” Mingyu said with pursed lips. 

 

“So… He’s crying over someone’s hair. Someone he barely knows.” 

 

“You don’t understand!” Cheol cut in, “He was so beautiful! He came to drop Jisung off with that gorgeous long hair, but when he came back, it was gone! This is betrayal!”

 

I almost laughed, really. After clicking my tongue and rolling my eyes, I headed back towards my room. On my way, I nearly rammed into Hansol, carrying a box of tissues and a ‘World’s Best Teacher’ mug full of some… questionable liquid.

 

“For Cheol. He’s going through a heartbreak, you know.” That was all the explanation I got from him. 

 

“Yeah, yeah. Call me when dinner’s ready.”

 

“We’re getting pizza!” Hansol calls out to me as I slam the bedroom door shut. 

  
  
  


There’s nothing like a nice hot, greasy, cheesy pizza to lighten up any day. However, what we got wasn’t exactly hot or nice. Although Mingyu did his best to cover the boxes while he ran from the car to the apartment, both pizzas got nearly soaked. It was a bummer, but do you really think we were about to throw it out?

 

So, as I sat cross legged at the dining room table, crunching on my half soggy meat lovers pizza, I got a text. 

 

It wasn’t a surprise to me, but the others around the table were shocked. They stared at my phone, then back at me, and it occurred to me that through my mouthful of dough and cheese, I was smiling. How cliche and gross. 

 

Of course, it was from Junhui. Who else would have texted me? I only have about seven contacts _ — _ Junhui, my parents, the cafe’s number, and the three idiots at the table. 

 

I read and reread the message in my head. Even if he didn’t mention his name, I would have known it was him. It just had that… that feeling. He texts exactly how you’d expect someone like him to text. Way too energetically and cringey, but also quite endearing. 

 

_ Hey Wonwoo! It’s me, Junhui!! I wanted to let you know that I saved your number and can’t wait for you to give me info about when you and your roommates are free for lunch! Maomi misses you already :3 _

 

I unlocked my phone and tapped a quick message, ignoring the grease fingerprints I was probably leavin on my screen.

 

_ ofc! I already have you saved lol. _

 

I almost physically cringed at my own message. Who uses ‘lol’ anymore? God damn was I stupid.

 

Hansol spoke up, nodding his head towards my phone. 

 

“Who’re you texting?” He asked in a teasing voice, and I just rolled my eyes.

 

“Just the guy with the cat.” I answered as dull as possible. 

 

“Aww, little Wonwoo has the hots for the owner of that little kitten?” Hansol poked at my arm, and I scoffed. 

 

“I do not.” I defended myself, “We exchanged numbers just in case something happens, you know? Like, with his cat again or something…” 

 

I guess they didn’t quite buy it, so I was left with the three of them leaning forward in their seats in anticipation. 

 

“What? It’s not like that, you guys are just annoying.” 

 

“Well… You were gone for a while…” Mingyu said, “You left before I had even gotten home, Sol said. And you only got back like, an hour ago? Sounds suspicious…”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“He means you banged the cat guy at his house, dingus.” Hansol answered, and I threw my pizza crust at him. 

 

“You of all people know I don’t do that kind of stuff, asshole.” I groaned, grabbing another slice. “He invited me in for coffee, and we talked about our roommates and how the government makes us eat bones in our sugar and stuff. Nothing else.”

 

“The government makes us do  _ what now? _ ” Cheol asked and I could see Hansol struggle to swallow the bite he almost choked on. 

 

“Apparently they use animal bones to whiten sugar and it’s not healthy.” I explained.

 

“Oh, come on, Wonwoo, you can’t tell me you’re banging a  _ vegan _ !” Hansol cried out and for once, even Mingyu looked exasperated at the whole situation.

 

“First of all, I’m not banging a vegan, if I was, I would most definitely tell you, and second of all, what’s wrong with that? So what if he’s a vegan?”

 

“I can’t stand the thought of leaving meat behind, man.” Hansol answered, “I just don’t want you to start replacing my milk with soy shit or my chicken with tofu. I beg of you, Wonwoo, spare me from your vegan boyfriend.”

 

“Yeah, sure.” I said, sighing, “If I get a vegan boyfriend, I’ll tell you to hide your pork cutlets under the kale chips.”

 

“What’s he like?” Cheol asked, and I mentally thanked him for saving me from Hansol’s torture.

 

“I don’t know. He’s kinda tall… Brown hair, whatever. He’s really passionate about everything and I guess that’s normal…” I thought for a while, “He’s got three roommates too. But they live in a really nice, big house. He wants to get together for lunch sometime.”

 

“Ohh, Wonwoo, you’re really a charmer, huh?” Mingyu teased, and I suddenly wish I stayed with the others for dinner.

 

“No, you dipshit, I meant lunch with all of us. Like, all his roommates and all of you knuckleheads.”

 

They were quiet for a bit, and Cheol asked, “So what did you tell him?”

 

“I said I’d talk to you guys.” 

 

“I’ll go.” Mingyu said, sliding his chair out from the table. “I just need to know when so I can figure out what class I’d have to skip…”

 

“Me too. Except, you know, I’m free any time.” Hansol butted in.

 

“I think I could make it. Maybe if it’s a bit later, though. Dinner maybe?” Cheol suggested, “Ask him about dinner. So then Mingyu doesn’t have to skip classes, and I can go after work.”

 

“Yeah. Why not.” I said, defeated. I hoped I could have steered them away from going, but it look like nothing will stop them now…

 

_ hey, will dinner work? _

 

_ my guys have work and school lol. but they said they wanna come. _

 

“I’ll let you know what he says. In the meantime…” I said, pushing my way out from the dining room table, “I’m going to finally finish that anime I started like, weeks ago.”

 

“Shit, can I come? Please?” Hansol asked, standing up as well.

 

“Are you going to talk through it again?” 

 

“No! I swear!” Hansol pouted, “I just want to know what happens with Miki…”

 

“Then fine. If you’re gonna have some of that ice cream in the freezer, bring me some too.”

 

On that, I walked away. The living room was only a few steps away, so it wasn’t exactly a dramatic exit or anything, but I still tried my best. When I sat down, there was a string of texts.

 

_ Yes! Dinner is fine! _

 

_ What about this saturday? _

 

_ Don’t worry about answering me right away, you’re probably eating. Just take your time! Lol. _


End file.
